20 Famous Figures in Bob Dylan Songs

As we hit "Dylan in a Day" part twenty, I would just like to take this milestone to cover twenty famous real-life figures in Bob Dylan songs. These people have to be referenced by name, mentioned at least once in the song and nothing else is needed of them. If they are overtly analysed then good for them, but if they are just used as a symbol then that's alright too.

Bob Dylan is known for using images of characters in his songs whether they be real or invented. I think I respect the way Bob Dylan uses both in songs, then he also uses Biblical characters too. In certain songs he also uses himself, characters from folklore, characters from fiction, writers, actors, other artists, historical figures, leaders etc. But I think there is a lot of room to talk about why Bob Dylan uses famous figures that are actually real. I find many people discuss the way in which he uses invented characters and why they have certain names. But I have seen less analysis on how Bob Dylan uses real life characters and people normally skip these because let us be honest here: it is much easier to figure out why a real life character is used rather than one of Bob Dylan's famous invented ones.

So let us have a quick look at the way in which Bob Dylan uses twenty real life famous figures in his songs.

These are in no particular order, so let's have a quick look at each other them:

St Augustine in "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine"

This song obviously covers the fact that St. Augustine was subjected to great amounts of violence when the barbarians took over the land of Hippo. St. Augustine remained and eventually died in his church. Ultimately, this song is about after St. Augustine died and many, many years later, our narrator is having a vision-like lucid dream about him coming back to earth.

Rubin Carter in "Hurricane"

Possibly one of Bob Dylan's most relevant songs, "Hurricane" is about the unlawful imprisonment of Rubin Carter, the boxer, who was falsely accused of murder. He was sentenced even though he was not guilty and this song ultimately helped him out of this mess and back into freedom.

Sara Lowndes Dylan in "Sara"

When Bob Dylan broke up with Sara Lowndes, there was a big shake up in the folk world and he eventually wrote this song explaining why he misses Sara and confirms that he wrote "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" for her [although we all knew that already]. Unfortunately for Dylan, it did not win her back.

Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine in "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"

Bob Dylan compares his relationships being in love to those between Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine where the story is eventually, Paul Verlaine shot Arthur Rimbaud in the arm but Rimbaud survived. So, I think Bob Dylan may be exaggerating and though it may be hyperbolic, it is still very well written because we all know how much Bob Dylan appreciates Arthur Rimbaud.

Prince Philip in "Dignity"

Prince Philip is the character who gives the narrator information if his name was not being used. It was something about being mistreated and of course, the narrator mentions the name of Prince Philip so maybe the reason why the narrator cannot find dignity is because he is insincere upon his guarantees on not to use people's names. Just my take on it.

Jesse James and Robert Ford in "Outlaw Blues"

In "Outlaw Blues" Bob Dylan obviously refers to the key outlaws of history, being Jesse James [whom he feels like] and Robert Ford [whom apparently, he looks like]. This song obviously has that rock and roll sort of beat and gives light to this edgy rebel-without-a-cause-type look Bob Dylan went for during the mid sixties

Napoleon in "Like a Rolling Stone"

Napoleon is a character in more than one Bob Dylan song. In "On the Road Again", someone owns a mask of Napoleon and in "Like a Rolling Stone" Napoleon is 'in rags' and the subject should go with him because they cannot really refuse [they have no other choice]. There are many characters in this song, but I think the one that cannot really be figured out is "Napoleon in rags" because the very concept of this if you really think about it, is kind of against what the whole sixties regime was kind of around [an autocrat who put themselves amongst the others - I mean, it was the era of cults and stuff, it is possible but probably a stretch].

Bette Davis in "Desolation Row"

In "Desolation Row" there is no real analysis of the Bette Davis character but only the fact that she is an iconic model/actress. To do something in a "Bette Davis style" is to possibly do it with some amount of character, personality and sass - like Bette Davis herself. Bette Davis - a second wave feminist sort of icon, created this champion attitude which set her amongst the likes of Katharine Hepburn in her impact. Showing the character's dislike of the attention, she would therefore do something "Bette Davis Style".

William Shakespeare in "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"

Bob Dylan's character of William Shakespeare seems to be standing in an alleyway during the course of this song and I think that the reason for this is that he may looking for the next subject of his play, possibly a tragedy because the tone of the song is almost rather pissed off. Since the narrator sees Shakespeare, we never actually see Shakespeare again maybe because he has known that he's been seen by his subject. It is a difficult analysis to think through without the context of the rest of the song.

Samantha Brown in "Lonesome Day Blues"

Fun fact: I once read a book about Bob Dylan in which there were a few essays in there written by Samantha Brown and under the title it read: 'contrary to popular belief, Samantha Brown did not stay in Bob Dylan's home for about four or five months...' and I am not lying, I laughed for a solid five or ten minutes at that for no reason other than it was a word for word reference to "Lonesome Day Blues" and that is the only way I know that she is a real person.

F. Scott Fitzgerald in "Ballad of a Thin Man"

Fitzgerald is normally accredited with showing the jazz age its own downfall through the eyes of Nick Carraway in his novel "The Great Gatsby", possibly even predicting the Wall Street Market Crash which would start 'The Great Depression'. The fact that Fitzgerald is used as the author that 'Mr. Jones' has read all of possibly means that Mr. Jones is this kind of catastrophiser and believes in this impending doom of the times - something which Bob Dylan does not like at all.

Paul Revere in "Tombstone Blues"

I honestly cannot find a reason that Paul Revere was used other than his horse is some sort of iconic figure in the history of America. The fact that America is trying to reincarnate such an animal would probably suggest that they are trying to resurrect the American Dream, but honestly I would not know if I tried. I really cannot figure it out - what is the link?

St. Peter in "Ring Them Bells"

Yes, I know some people don't believe that St. Peter was a real person but via archeological evidence he is so there we go. St. Peter waits at the gates of heaven and I think that this too, is reference to the 'four winds' and the bells therefore in this song are to ring in the end of the world. It is a pretty beautiful piece of reasoning if this is it.

Gregory Peck in "Brownsville Girl"

The narrator in this song in line to see a film starring Gregory Peck and so, we then get the fact that he was in line once reminding him of this weird fling he had with a 'brownsville girl'. I don't think that the film itself or Gregory Peck have anything real to do with the affair, but actually serve as a motivated memory that brings on what happened in the song.

Sandro Botticelli in "When I Paint My Masterpiece"

I don't know when this song would have to be set for the narrator to have a date with Botticelli's niece but it would not be in our own modern time, I'll tell you that. If this is set in the past then Sandro Botticelli would either be dead or in hiding because of the Bonfire of the Vanities, and if he was with Botticelli's niece then that would explain why he has a painting of a tall oak tree in Brussels. It could be because he was trying to smuggle paintings out of Italy. That is improbable but a really cool thought.

Here are some eponymous songs that are about the subjects that they state or have something to do with the subject indirectly.

• Blind Willie McTell in "Blind Willie McTell"
• Hattie Carroll in "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"
• John Wesley Hardin in "John Wesley Harding"
• Woody Guthrie in "Song to Woody"
• Lenny Bruce in "Lenny Bruce"
• Joey Gallo in "Joey"

And that's twenty real people from Bob Dylan's songs...